Transfer mechanism for high speed winders

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are described for producing a transfer tail on precision wound packages with the transfer tail being made at the same speed and under the same conditions as the other textile material placed on the package. The invention is described with specific reference to the winding of fiber glass strand packages. An angular guide is utilized to automatically position the strand or strands over a traversing mechanism guide eye which allows the threading of the yarn in the guide eye without interruption of the normal movement of the yarn or yarns being wound. The system may be manually or automatically operated so that the transfer tail is not applied to the packages until operating speeds are obtained on the textile package to be wound, thus providing for the same character of yarn on the transfer tail as on the subsequently wound yarn.

United States Patent 1191 Hudson 5] June 4, 1974- TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR HIGH SPEED WINDERS [75] Inventor: Ben Avery Hudson, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[73] Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh,

[22] Filed: Oct. 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 298,086

521 user .f. ..242/1s1 w l 56] References Cied of the yarn in the guide eye without interruption of the normal movement of the yarn or yarns being wound.

UNITED STATES PATENTS The system may be manually or automatically oper- 2.036.l2l 3/1936 Converse et al. 242/l8 PW ated so that the transfer tail is not applied npack 25:32? a y? ages until operating speeds are obtained on the textile 303O039 4/1962 g'g i 242/18 PW package to be wound, thus providing for the same 3251360 5/1966 Mmdbif III: 242/18 PW Character of Yam the transfer as the Subse' 3,488,010 1/1970 Parry 242/18 PW q y Wound y 3,595.49() 7/l97l Schnetzer.... 242/18 PW 5 Cl 3 D 3,690,577 9/1972 Schroeder .1 242/18 PW raw'ng gums Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John E. Curley 5 7 ABSTRACT A method and apparatus are described for producing a transfer tail on precision wound packages with the transfer tail being made at the same speed and under the same conditions as the other textile material placed on the package The invention is described with specific reference to the winding of fiber glass strand packages. An angular guide is utilized to automatically position the strand or strands over a traversing mechanism guide eye which allows the threading Ill! PATENTEDJUN 4m 3.814.339

SHEEI 1 BF 3 iv m1 FIG.1 37

PATENIEDJua 4:914 3814.339

SHEET 2 BF 3 I FIG.Z}

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR HIGH SPEED WINDERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many devices have been suggested for the purpose of applying to yarns while they are being wound on a bobbin or yarn carrier a yarn transfer tail. The transfer tail normally consists of a sufficient number of turns of yarn would initially on the yarn carrier clear of the main body of yarn to enable a junction to be made between the yarn at the end of the package as unwound and the leading end of yarn on a further package.

It is particularly desirable in dual type yarn collection units that a yarn taii be formed at one end of each tube before the main body of yarn is wound upon the open tubes so that in later textile operation such as beaming or ,quilling, where continuous yarns are required, the tail yarn of one tube may be tied to the lead end of the yarn on another filled tube so that there will be no interruption in the operation when the supply of one tube becomes exhausted.

For the forming of yarn tails on collection tubes it is necessary to provide tailing guides which direct the traveling yarn to one end of the collection tube before the traversing movement of the traverse guide is initiated. This is done so that a small number of closely associated yarn turns may be formed at one end of the collection tube. Devices of this character have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,962 and U.S. Pat. No.

3,488,010 for thepurpose of providing yarn tails o is threaded and before the yarn tail is applied to the package being wound.

THE PRESENT INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a novel and unique system is provided for the winding of precision textilepackages which eliminates many of the short comings existent in the prior art devices utilized for this purpose. In accordance with the instant invention, when dual packages, or other packages in multiples of two, are being wound and it is desired to provide a yarn tail on each of the packages, a yarn tail may be wound on each of the packages and provided in such a manner that each yarn tail is of the same character as the remainder of the wound package. The transfer mechanism of the instant inventiontinds utility in winding textured or untextured yarns.

Thus, in accordance with the instant invention wherein textile yarn is to be wound on a dual package, for example two strands of yarn are nipped or coupled between the two tubes or carriers on which the packages are to be wound by passing the yarns through a guide eye and catching them at a point located between the two tubes or carriers on which the packages are to be wound, preferably intermediate the two tubes. A yarn guide holder having a bifurcated base and a pin attached to or integral therewith is placed so that the strands lie over the bifurcation of the yarn guide holder and under the pin. The pin rests on top of the two strands which are coupled to the two tubes to be wound and the remainder of the yarn guide holder operates as a spreading mechanism. The. winder, after the two strands are connected to the carrier or tubes on which the yarn is to be wound, is actuated to provide for the rotational movement of the tubes and yarn is wound at a point intermediate the two packages to be collected. When the winder reaches operating speed for collection of the yarn, the yarn guide holder is moved away from the yarn guide eyelet thus spreading or spacing the two strands of yarn apart from each other. Upon the spreading of the yarns from each other, traversing guide eyes associated with the winder and reciprocating in a horizontal direction, pick up eachof the spaced apart strands and begin winding the packages on each side of the yarn guide holder. In their movement to the package forming position the guide eyes wind several turns of yarn on each package at the end of each package thus providing the transfer tails thereon. The rotational movement of the yarn carrier and the rapid reciprocating traverse guide eyes wind the package at the same speed at which the yarn tail guide was wound at the beginning of the operation until a package of the desired weight or depth has been provided. Thus by utilizing this method of operation, yarn tails are provided on each end of each of the packages which are wound and the tails have the same character as the yarn wound on the package itself.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a dual package winder utilizing the yarn tail transfer mechanism of the instant invention, the winder in the rest position;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the dual winder of FIG. 1 with the yarn guide spreading assembly in an operating position with the strands moving apart from each other and into position to provide the transfer tail and begin the winding operation;

FIG. 3 shows the yarn guide pivot mechanism completely disengaged and the traversing guide eyes winding the separated yarn on the two forming tubes.

Turning to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown therein a high speed winder comprising a spindle member ll coupled to a rotatable shaft 10 associated with a motor (not shown) and contained in housing 22. Spindle 11 is constructed and'arranged to carry on its outer surface two cylindrical collection tubes or carriers 12 and 13. Located underneath the tubes I2 and I3 is a roller support bail member 16 on which the tubes 12 and 13 rotate during operation. Roller mechanism 16 has positioned below it a cam box 40 with two reciprocating guide eye members 14 and 15 which are connected to a cam which is driven by a suitable motor (not shown) and which reciprocates the guide eyes of 14 and 15 in a horizontal direction with respect to the long axis of the member 16. A slot 18 is provided between the packages 12 and 13 upon which the strand to be collected is wound and the function of this slot will be explained hereinafter more fully. Roller 16 has a tapered central portion 16a which permits winding waste yarn intermediate packages 12 and 13 at the beginning of the winding operation.

Located below the cam box 40, on a support plate 2! and bolted thereto via bolt 29 is a central guide eye member 23. Positioned within the member 23 as shown in FIG. 1 is pin 24a of a yarn guide holder 24 which is bolted or welded to a bar 25 that is rotatable via bushings 30 and 30a. Rigidly attached to the bar 25 is a metal bar 27 which may be attracted by a magnetic field generated by the magnet 28 and magnet bar 28a associated therewith. Also located at the end of bar 25 is a handle member 26 firmly affixed to the bar 25 which may be utilized to rotate the bar 25 by hand if desired.

Located below plate 21 and attached to the bottom of housing 22 is a hollow horizontal bar member 31 rotatable between bushings 36 and 38 and having a housing 37 positioned at the end thereof. Rigidly affixed to the housing 37 are two elbow shaped support members 39 and 42 which carry spindles 32 and 33 at their extremity. Suitable means is provided inside of arm or bar member 31 which is operatively associted with the winder motor to provide for movement of the arms 39 and 42 and rotation of housing 37 in an upward or downward direction in response to the speed of winding in order to maintain tension on the strands l9 and 20 during winding in a manner conventional in the art.

As shown in FIG. 1 two textile strands 19 and 20 are threaded around the underside of the spindles 32 and 33 and are positioned in the guide eye 23 with the yarn guide holder 24 positioned on top of them. The two strands are passed as shown in FIG. I under the spindle 11 and are gripped at the upper portion in between tubes 12 and 13 in the slot ,18.

The operation of the transfer mechanism of the instant invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and'3. In the operation of the instant invention two yarn ends l9 and 2d are passed from the yarn source around the spindles 32 and 33 and through the slot in the guide eye 23. They are then passed together underneath the spindle member 11 and the ends are gripped in tubes 12 and 13 lcoated on the spindle I1 and held firmly in place by moving the two tubes against each other to nip the yarn in the groove 13. This positioning of the yarn is shown specifically in FIG. 1. It is to be noted in FIG. l that after the yarn ends 19 and 20 are passed through the slot in the guide eye 23 the yarn guide holder 24 is placed in the slot of the guide eye 23 on top of the yarn with one yarn located on each side of the pin 24a of the yarn guide holder 24. The magnet 28 is energized to hold the bar 27 in an upright position against bar 28a.

Turning now to FIG. 2 the spindle III has been actuated and has begun winding yarn at the central portion of the spindle at a point intermediate tubes l2 and 13. In the position shown in FIG. 2 the winder II has reached operating winding speed and the guide eyes 14 and are reciprocating in a horizontal direction. The yarn guide holder 24 has been actuated by demagnetizing the magnet 28 and magnet bar 28a and the metal bar 27 has begun to fall away from its set position as shown in FIG. 1. Bar 27 has begun to descend away from the machine thereby moving the yarn guide holder 24 and pin 24a associated with it out of guide eye 23. During this movement the yarn l9 and located on either side of the pin 24a of the yarn guide holder 24 has been spread. The yarns l9 and 20 move laterally and the guide eyes 14 and 15 pick them up during theirreciprocation in the horizontal direction. The yarn has fallen into the slot located in each one of these horizontally reciprocating guide eyes 34 and 115. As the yarn is picked up by the guide eyes 14 and IS a turn to a turn and a half around the packages 12 and I3 respectively'are taken adjacent the yarn waste already wound intermediate the packages 12 and 13. The reciprocating guides 14 and 15 then move across the face of the packages 13 and 12, respectively and yarn winding begins leaving a yarn tail for each package adjacent the end of each package.

In FIG. 3 the yarn guide holder 24 has fallen approximately from the position shown in FIG. 1 and yarn has been wound on each of the packages 12 and 13. This is essentially the position of the yarn transfer tail mechanism as the winding operation continues until a package of desired depth is reached. When the desired package depth has been reached, the machine is turned off and the packages are disengaged. The yarn transfer tail is located intermediate the packages 12 and 13. The packages on tubes 12 and 13 are separated and the material immediately adjacent slot 18 is discarded as waste. The yarn at each end of each package adjacent the ends contains the transfer tails for each package. The yarn is preferably cut in the center between the packagesto provide a transfer tail of 15 to 18 inches in length on one end of each of the packages 12 and 13 respectively.

As will be readily understood utilization of the yarn transfer tail mechanism of the instant invention provides for a simple threading of a single spindle for the collection of two packages and provides a transfer tail on each of the packages in a simple efficient manner. Thus, by a simple connection of the two yarn ends to be wound in the intersection of two tubes that are slidably positioned on a spindlel 1, no elaborate threading of guide eyes is required as has been practiced by the prior art and the transfer tail is provided intermediate the two packages that are being wound simultaneously. Obviously the mechanism can be operated with a plurality of yarn-transfer guide members associated with spindles that are winding four, six, eight, 10 or any number of packages associated with a single spindle mechanism or a plurality of spindle mechanisms.

The operation of the system may also be conducted by hand by simply turning the handle 26 on the bar member 25 when visual observation of the winder shows that it has reached operating speed. In the preferred embodiment of the instant invention however demagnetization of the bar member 27 occurs automatically by connecting the winder electrically to the magnet 28 so that when the winder 11 reaches the desired winding speed an electric switch deenergizes magnet 28 and its bar member 28a thereby disengaging the metal bar 27 holding the yarn guide holder 24 and pin 24a in its upright position in the groove of the yarn guide 23. Thus by providing for the transfer tail on each package when the winder has reached desired winding speed, the customer receives a transfer tail which has the same loft and the same character as the remaining yarn on the package and thus the yarn transfer tail does not form bands or bars (a bar effect produced by strips or bars extending crosswise in woven and knitted goods) in fabrics when they are woven orknitted as would be customary should the yarn transfer tail be applied to the package while the winder had not reached normal operating speed. Thus a simple, efficient method and apparatus is provided for the positioning of a yarn transfer tail on packages which present little or no waste and provide textile materials which are uniform on the package and at the transfer tail point.

While the invention has been described in general with respect to the utilization of textile'materials. it is particularly adaptable to the utilization of high speed winders utilized in the winding of precision fiber glass textile materials. While the invention has been described with reference to certain specific examples and illustrative embodiments, it is not intended that it be so limited except insofar as appears in the accompanying claims.

lclaim:

l. A method of winding double strand packages to provide tie on tails on each package comprising the steps of introducing two strands to be wound through a guide member and attaching them firmly between two tubes on which the packages are to be wound positioning a holder in the guide member to maintain the two strands in the guide member, rotating the tubes to commence winding the two strands at their point of attachment between the tubes, upon attaining a given winding speed, releasing the holder from the guide member and directing the two strands away from each other and into reciprocating, transversing guide members associated with each tube, and continuing winding the strands on said tubes until the desired packages have been formed thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said releasing of said holder occurs automatically upon the attainment of a given speed by the winder.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said holder is maintained in place by a magnet and said releasing of said holder is accomplished by deactivating said magnet.

4. A method of winding a plurality of textile packages to provide tie on tails on each of the packages wound comprising providing a guide member for each two packages to be wound, passing two separate textile strands through each guide member and attaching them between the two tubes on which packages are to be wound associated with each guide member, providing a holder in each said guide member to maintain each set of two textile strands positioned therein, rotating the tubes to commence winding packages thereon, releasing the holder from the guide member when the rotation of. the tubes has reached the desired winding speed and simultaneously spreading the two strands as sociated with each guide member away from each other, picking up each strand as it is spread in a horizontally traversing guide member and winding a package on each tube as they rotate.

5. An apparatus for winding dual packages on winding tubes comprising two tubes adapted to receive textile strand on their respective surfaces and mounted on a spindle associated with a motor adapted to rotate said spindle, means between said tubes for engaging at least two textile strands, a guide member positioned adjacent said tubes and adapted to receive at least two textile strands, a holder positioned in said guide member and adapted to engage at least two strands positioned in said guide member, said holder being provided with a straight pin at the end thereof positioned in said guide member and a bifurcation'at the base of the pin, said bifurcation being such that when the pin is moved out of the guide member, it spreads strand held by the pin in a lateral direction, means for moving said holder out of said guide member, and means associated with each of said tubes to receive strand as it is moved laterally by said holder and reciprocate strand in a horizontal plane with respect to each of said tubes during winding. =i=

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,814,339 Dated n 4, 1974 Inventor(s) Ben Avery Hudson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as showri below:

Column" 1, line 9, "would" should be --wound; Column 3, line 14, associted" should be --associated--; Column 3, line 53, "magnet" should be ----magnetic-; and Column 5, line 20, "transversing" should be -traversing--.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY GIBSON JR, C c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents iv USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 U.S4 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I869 O-366334.

F ORM PO-1050(10-69) 

1. A method of winding double strand packages to provide tie on tails on each package comprising the steps of introducing two strands to be wound through a guide member and attaching them firmly between two tubes on which the packages are tO be wound positioning a holder in the guide member to maintain the two strands in the guide member, rotating the tubes to commence winding the two strands at their point of attachment between the tubes, upon attaining a given winding speed, releasing the holder from the guide member and directing the two strands away from each other and into reciprocating, transversing guide members associated with each tube, and continuing winding the strands on said tubes until the desired packages have been formed thereon.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said releasing of said holder occurs automatically upon the attainment of a given speed by the winder.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said holder is maintained in place by a magnet and said releasing of said holder is accomplished by deactivating said magnet.
 4. A method of winding a plurality of textile packages to provide tie on tails on each of the packages wound comprising providing a guide member for each two packages to be wound, passing two separate textile strands through each guide member and attaching them between the two tubes on which packages are to be wound associated with each guide member, providing a holder in each said guide member to maintain each set of two textile strands positioned therein, rotating the tubes to commence winding packages thereon, releasing the holder from the guide member when the rotation of the tubes has reached the desired winding speed and simultaneously spreading the two strands associated with each guide member away from each other, picking up each strand as it is spread in a horizontally traversing guide member and winding a package on each tube as they rotate.
 5. An apparatus for winding dual packages on winding tubes comprising two tubes adapted to receive textile strand on their respective surfaces and mounted on a spindle associated with a motor adapted to rotate said spindle, means between said tubes for engaging at least two textile strands, a guide member positioned adjacent said tubes and adapted to receive at least two textile strands, a holder positioned in said guide member and adapted to engage at least two strands positioned in said guide member, said holder being provided with a straight pin at the end thereof positioned in said guide member and a bifurcation at the base of the pin, said bifurcation being such that when the pin is moved out of the guide member, it spreads strand held by the pin in a lateral direction, means for moving said holder out of said guide member, and means associated with each of said tubes to receive strand as it is moved laterally by said holder and reciprocate strand in a horizontal plane with respect to each of said tubes during winding. 